Ticket Sells

[uihawk82]

Even the NFL is having huge issues with ticket sales.

I have been an Iowa season ticket holder for 5+ years now and every year I struggle to decide whether or not its still worth it or not.

Remember 10 years ago when Nascar was off the charts in growth. Well they have been spiraling downward somewhat the past few years. It is cyclic.

I have been consistently going to games since 1973 and I attended probably one a year from 1960 to 73. It was tough to find the hawks be on TV once in two years back in the late 60's.

The total hawk FB attendance will be fine but their are more drawbacks now even though I love sitting in the stands and watching the hawks. As someone said it is my 7 mini-vacation days.

The security is so tight now all over. I know security has to be tight for stadium entrance but I think the open container violations are way out of line if someone is not publicly intoxicated and falling down or starting a fight. I hate the loss of the marching band playing during games and being replaced by all the commercials.

I dont begrudge the wealthy their perks if they pay for them. The first reseating in 2005 bumped me from the 43 yard line (which took me years to move up to) down to the goal line because I didnt want to pay $800 bucks a ticket in donation. I am giving my ISU tickets to a friend this year.

I am getting old enough to give up my season tickets, watch the lame games on tV and go to the big 10 games at Kinnick. I even dread the ISU game because of the extra 30,000 fans milling around and some get ugly drunk.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Lots of the factors mentioned are in play. But I'll revisit the last comment of my previous post with regard to the fans. More specifically, the young fans. They need instant gratification and digital stimulation

-Longer, analog experiences just don't have as much appeal to those under 30. Who wants to sit though a 3 hour game waiting for a handful of great plays or exciting moments. Blow something up, make it louder, entertain me. NOW.

-I can't imagine having to explain to somebody 15 years ago, why being AT the game was more exciting than watching it on TV. I love my big flat screen.... but it's still not the same as being there. And people are more consumed with what is being said (twitter, facebook, etc) about an event...THAN THE ACTUAL EVENT. Consider the concert videos you see on youtube where young girls are 10-15 feet away from their idols performing at a concert....and instead of leaning in and actually experiencing it...they have their damn phones in front of their faces recording it.

I'm prepared for the predictable "you're just an old guy" comments. Never mind that my work centers around technology and digitizing formerly analog businesses...or that what I wrote above is basically accurate.

The matrix has us. And many people prefer to be plugged in, rather than live in the real world.

 

[blkngldFRO]

Yeah, but it was tradition to go to the games, and not just to drink...it's what you do, you go and support the team...and have a great time doing it. I was more focused on the posters comment about the product on the field. People don't give Ferentz enough credit. How many times in the last ten years in particular did you see an Iowa team physically dominated. Even in the lean years, not that often...our execution sucked, but we didn't get dominated. Those teams in the seventies were ALWAYS dominated...and I mean completely outclassed. He's got his team's physically ready to play and other teams know it's coming...and they certainly know they played Iowa on Sunday morning. I have a lot of respect for that...more so than some on this board.

It's because "kids" today have fully embraced the lifestyle that their parents taught them to embrace! They didn't teach them about loyalty they really didn’t parent them much at all. The ones that did are there. The ones that didn't fully believe we are a disposable, what have you done for me lately, sense of entitlement with no hard work, have your cake and eat it too, you can have it all, and jack of all trades master of none because they have been forced into a million different things since the age of 4 and all got blue ribbons society!

Now not everything can be placed at the feet of the parents...but there has been a serious lack of showing children what it is like to be a MAN or a WOMEN. Companies, schools, neighborhoods have lost their ethics and values and loyalties why should they keep them! I can go on with the old man get off my lawn rant, but I will end it with that.

Simply put I hate it when people blame the "kids" they learned it from watching their generations before them destroy it all.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

So what you are saying is you have a choice, take the red pill or the green pill.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Lots of the factors mentioned are in play. But I'll revisit the last comment of my previous post with regard to the fans. More specifically, the young fans. They need instant gratification and digital stimulation

-Longer, analog experiences just don't have as much appeal to those under 30. Who wants to sit though a 3 hour game waiting for a handful of great plays or exciting moments. Blow something up, make it louder, entertain me. NOW.

-I can't imagine having to explain to somebody 15 years ago, why being AT the game was more exciting than watching it on TV. I love my big flat screen.... but it's still not the same as being there. And people are more consumed with what is being said (twitter, facebook, etc) about an event...THAN THE ACTUAL EVENT. Consider the concert videos you see on youtube where young girls are 10-15 feet away from their idols performing at a concert....and instead of leaning in and actually experiencing it...they have their damn phones in front of their faces recording it.

I'm prepared for the predictable "you're just an old guy" comments. Never mind that my work centers around technology and digitizing formerly analog businesses...or that what I wrote above is basically accurate.

The matrix has us. And many people prefer to be plugged in, rather than live in the real world.

I would add another dynamic (or two).

When I was at UI in the 1980s, businesses were open, but it wasn't a ton of students working/operating. Now, more people "have to" work weekends, some taking second jobs. How ELSE do they pay for all that technology that they think is "as good as" being at the actual game.

It doesn't help that all the crackdown stuff has become the normal atmosphere. You used to be able to read about the three or four arrests around and about Kinnick for the four-five hour window. Now? It's a a whole column or page in a local paper. One had to REALLY push the envelope to get the crackdown. If, as I have read, it's become impossible to walk with an open beer, or have loud music, or, worse, even FIND a place to tailgate...AND you don't remember how much fun it "was"...it's pretty to take a pass.

If I still lived in Iowa? I'd sell out each and every one of you folks to be at Kinnick each and every home game!

 

[BryceC]

It's because "kids" today have fully embraced the lifestyle that their parents taught them to embrace! They didn't teach them about loyalty they really didn’t parent them much at all. The ones that did are there. The ones that didn't fully believe we are a disposable, what have you done for me lately, sense of entitlement with no hard work, have your cake and eat it too, you can have it all, and jack of all trades master of none because they have been forced into a million different things since the age of 4 and all got blue ribbons society!

Now not everything can be placed at the feet of the parents...but there has been a serious lack of showing children what it is like to be a MAN or a WOMEN. Companies, schools, neighborhoods have lost their ethics and values and loyalties why should they keep them! I can go on with the old man get off my lawn rant, but I will end it with that.

Simply put I hate it when people blame the "kids" they learned it from watching their generations before them destroy it all.

No offense but those parents are the same ones attempting to monetize every last possible thing as part of the game day experience, demanding ever increasing amounts of money for the same product. I'm sorry but "loyalty" is ringing in my deaf ears on this one because loyalty in college athletics extends to how much you are willing to pay. And that's not loyalty, that's treating people only like consumers and when you do that you get consumer behavior. I get why these schools are concerned but I don't blame people backing away one bit.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Dude, it's July, we have a couple games with a couple k seas remaining. Sold out by game time. Over react much?

Plus 1000 to this.... It's late July people are just reaching for something to talk about as most of the other stories have been discussed at nauseum. If 5k plus seats are empty against UNI then ok let the discussion start. But even then I'm not going to be too bent out of shape. Sure that sucks and you don't want to see that as a fan. But with what the schools are making on TV money alone they aren't going to be hurting....

 

[Knight78]

the iowa fan of the 70s in kinnick - just fyi - and perhaps you know this - back in that time period, the tailgate was allowed inside the stadium. coolers, alcohol, etc. it was full-on. that is how you get thru a season when the team doesn't win a game and goes 0-11 like they did in 1973. or win 4 games in 3 seasons like they did in '71, '72 and '73........

Don't forget at that time the legal drinking age was 18 so virtually all college students could legally drink.

My brother was in the marching band; his last year was Hayden's first year. They played the Iowa Fight Song for first downs.... because if they waited to play it for touchdowns they might not have played it at all.

 

[Hawk1960]

Lots of good comments and theories above. Speaking for me personally, due to travel, I get to 3-4 home games per year. When I don't go it's usually one of the three reasons below ...

1) 11:00 start
2) 11:00 start
3) 11:00 start (seems to be a pattern here)

 

[Knight78]

Also have to throw in the fact of more youth sports being played on the weekends in the fall. Traveling or club teams in soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, not to mention youth tackle football and volleyball. Lots of families can't attend because of this.

I disagree with this. I don't think there are any more youth activities on the weekends than there were 30 years ago. My kids had all the same weekend games when he was growing up: soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, band, choir, scouting. We didn't attend during those years. Soon, we won't be attending because the grandkids will be in those weekend activities.

 

[ICHawk24]

I disagree with this. I don't think there are any more youth activities on the weekends than there were 30 years ago.

I disagree.

30 years ago, I was a kid. We had our local little league, where we got a 16 game season if we were lucky.

Nowadays, half the parents I know spend half their Summer dragging half their kids around the Midwest to play baseball or softball.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

I disagree.

30 years ago, I was a kid. We had our local little league, where we got a 16 game season if we were lucky.

Nowadays, half the parents I know spend half their Summer dragging half their kids around the Midwest to play baseball or softball.

Agreed, they also start younger. 8 and under baseball tournaments all over the midwest every weekend. When I was 8, we had 7 games the entire summer.

 

[HawkeyeFan57]

I had 5 season tickets at the 15 yd line. Paid $200/ticket extra for seating rights. Live 5 hrs away. Would make it to 3-4 games, sell the rest. Face value of $55 for ticket. My cost is was $85/ ticket, if you cost in the seating rights. When you sell your tickets, unless you sell the best games, no one wants to pay more than face value, and many times they want to pay less. Usually ate one game a year, for one reason or another. I go to 1-2 games a year now. Scalp for tickets. If the weather is bad, I stay home and watch it on the 60" HD that I can back up and watch close plays as the TV commercials are going on. I save a ton of money not having season tickets! I also do not want to pay $60-100 a ticket for endzone/nosebleed seats either. Home screen is nice. As I get older, I will go to less games! But I live for my Hawkeyes, just at home.

 

[imported_ankle23]

I disagree with this. I don't think there are any more youth activities on the weekends than there were 30 years ago. My kids had all the same weekend games when he was growing up: soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, band, choir, scouting. We didn't attend during those years. Soon, we won't be attending because the grandkids will be in those weekend activities.

totally disagree here. now, you have aau basketball that is played seemingly all year 'round, played nationwide. and while good players are involved with this, it's certainly not only the 'best of the best' doing so. starting at unbelievably young ages.

here in the DM burbs, baseball can be played spring late spring summer fall. probably an indoor league in the winter that i am unaware of.

i'm sure the same story can be told about a variety of sports.

i think it's crazy.

 

[HawkIPA]

And now for some stupid questions from the guy who just wandered in and hasn't followed this thread at all. Would it be possible at all to do something like reduce the prices a little? It seems to me that might spur sales some. And is it true the athletic department makes all the money off the parking ramps at the hospital? I've always assumed that was an urban legend, but if that's true, then it seems like the athletic department would have all the revenue they'd need, because the parking there is so expensive it is evil.

Then I as a season ticket holder would be pizzed because I paid 395 for 7 home games which is almost 60 bucks per seat.

What incentive is there to buy season tickets if they are just going to reduce the price in the summer?

 

[Seth53]

While the "it's only July" argument has merit, what would be more telling would be to examine the trends of this phenomena. One data point is a point....two is a projection....three is a trend.

For example....
- What % were unsold this time last year, 2004, 1998, etc.
- Is it (unsold tickets in July) tracking up, down, steady? Etc.
- Same data nationally for all Power 5 conferences (where it really does matter after all).

Intuitively it reasons this "ticket selling slide" at Iowa began in earnest sometime after the "excise tax" was implemented.

(FWIT, I don't consider this to be a slide as much as increased inertia, for the reasons listed (HDTV, prices, product on field, somber game day tailgating experience)).

The difference? Inertia will inherently be overcome. Except maybe for the BSU game, tickets won't go unsold.

 

[tm3308]

So just a question to you and anyone that is unhappy about the parking, traffic leaving, etc.

Would you be happy if they would have built a new stadium on the West Campus (west of Finkbine and the HOF) where there would have been unlimited parking, I-80 right around the corner, etc.?

An honest question as for as ****** as the parking situation and the hassle that traffic can be I think the stadium is perfect where it is currently at and if they would have built a new stadium out there it would have lost so much of the history and atmosphere that makes Kinnick what it is.

Call me old school if you want but that can't be replaced. I also think once the Children's hospital is complete it will be a pretty cool back drop and awesome that all of those sick kids will be able to somewhat experience the gameday atmosphere and take their mind off of the horrible illnesses that they are fighting with everyday.

If they did that now? Probably not (for one thing, parking/traffic isn't enough justification to build a brand new stadium). If they'd done it 50 years ago, yeah I wouldn't have a problem with that at all. But Kinnick IS in a pretty terrible spot. I've only been to Iowa State and Michigan, but both stadiums have much better infrastructure around them to make it more convenient for fans; while both still have tailgating that goes on further from the stadium, both have way more space for fans right by the stadiums. JTS is set up a little more like an NFL stadium with a ton of parking lots right there (plus the student lot across the street), and Michigan has the golf course right across the street. Kinnick was built at a time when there was nothing else out there except the Field House. That's obviously changed a great deal.

 

[AdamHawk]

If they did that now? Probably not (for one thing, parking/traffic isn't enough justification to build a brand new stadium). If they'd done it 50 years ago, yeah I wouldn't have a problem with that at all. But Kinnick IS in a pretty terrible spot. I've only been to Iowa State and Michigan, but both stadiums have much better infrastructure around them to make it more convenient for fans; while both still have tailgating that goes on further from the stadium, both have way more space for fans right by the stadiums. JTS is set up a little more like an NFL stadium with a ton of parking lots right there (plus the student lot across the street), and Michigan has the golf course right across the street. Kinnick was built at a time when there was nothing else out there except the Field House. That's obviously changed a great deal.

Comparing Kinnick to JTS is like comparing Wrigley Field to Kauffman Field. Yeah, it's more convenient to get in and out of but would anyone realistically consider it a better experience?

 

[trj]

totally disagree here. now, you have aau basketball that is played seemingly all year 'round, played nationwide. and while good players are involved with this, it's certainly not only the 'best of the best' doing so. starting at unbelievably young ages.

here in the DM burbs, baseball can be played spring late spring summer fall. probably an indoor league in the winter that i am unaware of.

i'm sure the same story can be told about a variety of sports.

i think it's crazy.

Yep. A kid shows any potential in any one sport and the parent is pretty much specializing that kid in that specific sport and it is pretty much year around.

 

[trj]

Not really worried about the immediate future, the next 3-5 years will be okay. I am a little concerned about the long term future, as the baby boomers get old I am worried about the younger generations ability to fill the void.